The Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 to ensure state and local governments do not pass laws or policies that deny American citizens the equal right to vote based on race. As the leading democracy of the world, the U.S. should work to keep voting free, fair, and accessible. That’s why the Voting Rights Act is so important. It makes sure every citizen, regardless of their race, has an equal opportunity to have a say and participate in our great democracy.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, removing a critical tool to combat racial discrimination in voting. Under Section 5 of the landmark civil rights law, jurisdictions with a history of discrimination must seek pre-approval of changes in voting rules that could affect minorities. This process, known as “preclearance,” blocks discrimination before it occurs. In Shelby County v. Holder, the Court invalidated Section 4 — which determines the states and localities covered by Section 5 — arguing that current conditions require a new coverage formula. Since the ruling, several states previously covered under preclearance moved to restrict voting rights. Since then, many states, including several previously covered by Section 5, has moved to implement restrictive voting measures.

In the years afterthe Shelby County decision, a bipartisan group of lawmakers — led by Reps. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) — have introducedmultiplebills to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and restore its core protections.

Voter purges are an often-flawed process of cleaning up voter rolls by deleting names from registration lists. Done badly, they can prevent eligible people from casting a ballot that counts. This report examines the growing threat, and outlines steps every state can take to protect voters in November and beyond.

Recent Litigation

The Brennan Center and co-counsel filed suit in federal court challenging Texas's strict photo voter ID law on behalf of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives (MALC).

Featured Publication

Voter purges are an often-flawed process of cleaning up voter rolls by deleting names from registration lists. Done badly, they can prevent eligible people from casting a ballot that counts. This report examines the growing threat, and outlines steps every state can take to protect voters in November and beyond.